Former Red Sox bullpen coach Gary Tuck retires

Former Red Sox bullpen coach Gary Tuck retires

Tuck served with new manager John Farrell on Terry Francona's coaching staff from 2007-10, and had been recruited by Farrell to join him in Toronto when Farrell was named Blue Jays manager in 2011. He had agreed to remain with the Sox after Farrell's hiring in October, which made the timing of his resignation -- exactly two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers -- curious.

Tuck would have been the only member of Bobby Valentine's 2012 coaching staff to come back this season.

WEEI's Rob Bradford was first to report Tuck's departure from the team.

"My career had fallen into an abyss because I was so complacent with things that I had already accomplished," Sandoval said. "I did not work hard in order to achieve more and to remain at the level of the player that I am and that I can be."

After dealing Travis Shaw to the Brewers, Sandoval is expected to be the Red Sox primary third baseman in 2017.

"I am not taking anything for granted," he said. "I am here to work hard. I'm not thinking about the position or not. I am starting from scratch, and I am here to show what I can do on the field."

The 30-year-old says he’s following a “really strict routine” this offseason, and it shows. In a recent photo, Sandoval appears noticeably thinner. Sandoval says his wife giving birth to “Baby Panda” has served as inspiration.

"Watching 'Baby Panda' grow up and that he gets the opportunity to see his father play in the majors for seven, eight more years, to get back to the success I had, that's my motivation every day," Sandoval said. "The people that I surround myself with now and my family, they are the key to my success. This has been a life lesson."